Computational Prediction of Bacteriophage Host Ranges
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: An Adapted Optical Density-Based Microplate Assay for Characterizing Actinobacteriophage Infection
Published on: June 30, 2023
Cyril J Versoza1, Susanne P Pfeifer2
1Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
Abstract:
Increased antibiotic resistance has prompted the development of bacteriophage agents for a multitude of applications in agriculture, biotechnology, and medicine. A key factor in the choice of agents for these applications is the host range of a bacteriophage, i.e., the bacterial genera, species, and strains a bacteriophage is able to infect. Although experimental explorations of host ranges remain the gold standard, such investigations are inherently limited to a small number of viruses and bacteria amendable to cultivation. Here, we review recently developed bioinformatic tools that offer a promising and high-throughput alternative by computationally predicting the putative host ranges of bacteriophages, including those challenging to grow in laboratory environments.
Related Concept Videos
DNA Bacteriophages
Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages
Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages
Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle
Viral Replication: Lytic Cycle
The Antiviral System of Bacteria and Archaea: CRISPR

